“BLACK” BAN REMOVED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26693, 12 February 1948, Page 7

“BLACK” BAN REMOVED

CHRISTCHURCH JOINERY FACTORY P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 11. Because the firm of H. P. Piesse, Ltd., was prepared to reinstate P. H. Pumpa, the Rehabilitation apprentice in its employment, the declaration of “ black ” imposed on the joinery factory was lifted to-day. “Mr Piesse also agreed that the joiner and foreman who left his employ on account of the union’s declaration of ‘ black ’ could resume their normal occupation with the firm, and if they did so they would suffer no loss in wages for the time they had not worked since acting on the union's decision,” said Mr F. L. Langley, secretary of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Carpenters and Joiners’ Union, when announcing the lifting of the declaration. The joinery shop was declared “ black ” when Mr Piesse refused to reinstate Pumpa. who was dismissed on January 9 for attending a stopwork meeting of unionists to protest against decisions of the Arbitration Court.

Mr Piesse. said Mr Langley, had written to the union stating that the firm, of which he was a director, was prepared to reinstate the apprentice. The ban on the joinery works was immediately lifted and the threatened action to call out timberyard workers and cabinetmakers by declaring the yard and factory “ black ” was also automatically cancelled.